The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-07-28
Our Evening Sermon

And hee looked up, and saw the
rich men casting their gifts into the
treasury."-Luke oil.
1t has been declared Of the Divine
plan with mankind, that the Deity
uses the weak things of earth to con-
found the mighty. There is truth in
the declaration, as well as an air of
mystery The plans Of the Ruler of
the Universe are not only incompre-
hensible, but III juxtaposition to, and
conflict with, popular ideas. Men see
Divine justice with surprise, because
it is not after the plan suggested by
the finite mind. Great worth, and
pomp, and power, according to the
finite idea should command the re-
wards of the righteous and the ap-
proval of Heaven, rather than the
poor, weak, unselfsh, prayerful heart.
The possessor of landed estates and
enormous bank accounts ought,
according to popular idea, to be exalt-
ed, far above any degree to which the
plebeian dare aspire. What can the
good Lord Of Heaven and earth want
with that despised creature who does
not own habitation on earth? Can
it be that Divine glory could sit upon
a head clad in such coarse hair, or the
livery of Heaven replace a garb OF
rags? Can it be that the Christ, the
Divine Intercessor, the Lamb of God,
him that sitteth at the II ght hand OF
the Father, amid the glories Of the
Eternal City, could degrade himself
and his Infinite attributes by associat-
ing with the dinginess Of the hoyel?
What inconsistency! What repul-
sive thought!
Yet the ways Of Divine love and
mercy are just as strange, as incom-
prehensible, as that. When Jesus
saw the rich men throwing their gifts
into the treasury, he saw, also, anoth-
er sight. A poor widow, perhaps with
timid, dreading manner, ashamed of
the scantiness Of her contribution, and
with heart weighed down by the op-
preston Of temporal poverty, walked
up and cast in her two mites. What
was the result? Did the Savior look
lightly upon the timid act ?
Did he treat the widows act
with anything like displeasure? Hear
his expression, in the second passage
following that we have quoted as a
text: "Of truth | say unto you that
this poor widow hath cast in more
than they all.''
It is we'll perhaps that mankind
cannot read the depths Of human
| heart. It is enough that every person
can read his or her own heart-yet it
is lamentable that so many fail of
of obeying the commands and injunc-
tions written upon the heart, and
pulsing through the entire being. It
is no uncommon spectacle to see men
Of wealth put money into the treas
ury of the Lord, and it is good thing
that many do so from pure motives
and noble inclinations, yet there are
many again who must be considered
in another light. For instance: A is
man possessing abundant means and
goodly income. It is not altogether
without conscious pride that he affixes
his name to a donation of one hun
dred dollars. for the cause Of the
church, or Of humanity. 1f you
should engage him in conversation
concerning church life and work,
after he has thus affixed his signature,
he will make it point to tell you of
the ''little matter in an indirect way,
before the conversation closes. But
suppose poor B, who has no income.
scarcely owns a roof under which to
shelter his family, and is for that very
reason made the subject of assumed
contempt by A, timidly offers his ten
dollars-possibly the saving of week
of hard labor-does he boast of it?
Does he seek to impress upon you the
Importance and magnitude Of his gift?
Yet that gift may be fifty times as
much, in proportion to his temporal
wealth, as the gift of A. There is an
undercurrent of reason in the affairs
of men, which should be brought out,
that mankind, by drinking from its
clear waters, might become enlight-
ened upon the subject of their own
failings, and their own uncharitable
ambitions. The truth spoken by the
Savior concerning the poor widow
was a grand one, though it should not
again be manifested in human affairs.
The poor widow gave from motives Of
love, the outcropping of Christian
heart. She perhaps denied herself
some necessity in making the offer.
How many rich men did you ever
know who would bring themselves
into want, or the danger of it, for a
single hour, to help along the cause
Of righteousness? We are told by
those who have gone down to the sea
in ships, that the rolling of the waves
of old ocean has made them sick,
seemingly nigh unto death. But no